The present invention relates to a lubricating composition for the manufacture and surface treatment of metallic pipe, wire, sheet and so on.
A variety of lubricants have been used in the manufacture of metallic pipe and wire rod, particularly in wire drawing. For example, oily lubricants based on animal, vegetable or mineral oil, aqueous lubricants prepared by emulsifying such oils, systems prepared by adding an extreme pressure additive to such lubricants, chlorine-containing oily polymers, and solid lubricants such as calcium stearate are known and mainly employed. After the metal working, the oily residue on the surface of the product is generally removed with a halogen-containing solvent.
Although these metal working lubricants have been considered more or less satisfactory in terms of lubricating effect, each of them has its own drawbacks, e.g. poor skin quality after processing (rough surface), early wear and consequent short lives of dies, and poor labor hygiene and fire hazard due to the organic solvent used for post-cleaning.